


Fireflies in the Night

by im_the_king_of_the_ocean



Series: RWBY Rarepair Week 2k19 [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Camping, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, RWBY Rarepair Week, Stranded
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-18 12:20:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20639069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_the_king_of_the_ocean/pseuds/im_the_king_of_the_ocean
Summary: One night while Jaune and Ren are stranded after a mission went bad and they have little hope of rescue.





	Fireflies in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> CONTENT NOTE: hopelessness, talk of potential starvation and death

The night is quiet, peaceful.Thankfully they haven’t attracted Grimm to their location.Not that they wouldn’t be able to fend off attacks.They certainly have that ability.Neither Jaune nor Ren really want to.They want rest.They spend most of their days fighting now.A peaceful night like this is a luxury.One they are more than willing to take advantage of while they still have it.

Ren tends to the fire.Every now and then, he pokes the rations he’s cooking in a makeshift pan with a stick.He does his best, but even that won’t make this “food” taste good.Earlier, he went scavenging in hopes of finding wild berries, or, if he was lucky, some non-poisonous mushrooms.He found nothing.This stretch of land they are stuck in is plucked dry.Anything edible long since harvested by those who passed through before.

Ren tries not to think about the invisible, but present, clock ticking down to them running out of food.Even if he and Jaune eat their rations sparingly, they still need to eat _some _to maintain their strength to fight.Eventually, even if it is a slow, gradual, process, they _will _run out.Then, they’ll starve.

“Found more firewood.”Jaune enters their cave.He drops a collection of small branches and bark down on the ground.“We won’t freeze tonight.”He offers a half-hearted smile.Ren doesn’t share it.

“Hey, I know things suck right now, but we need to keep our spirits up, or we’ll have even worse things to—”

“I know,” Ren cuts Jaune off.“Sorry.I’m just tired.”He sighs.“It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”Nothing was.

Jaune sits down beside him.“Why do I get the feeling you’re not just talking about the mission?”

Now, Ren offers his own half-hearted smile.He’d never thought that Jaune, of all people, would come to know him so well.Yet, slowly and surely, his teammate had won over his trust, his friendship, and something Ren isn’t ready to admit quite yet.

“I wanted to become a Huntsman,” Ren starts to explain.“To protect those in need, but I also did it for myself.To be strong enough to have a life, and protect the people I love.”And not lose everything.Not again.

“You haven’t failed.”Jaune places his hand overtop Ren’s.Ren’s breath catches in his throat.He doesn’t acknowledge the gesture, but he doesn’t move his hand away either.“We’re still alive,” Jaune goes on.“And I’d say, the two of us are pretty hard to kill.”

Ren looks into the fire.“For how much longer?We need more supplies.There’s no towns around here.Our scrolls don’t have service.We need to be realistic about the situation.”

Realistic about the fact that they aren’t coming back.

Ren doesn’t say it.He doesn’t need to.Jaune already knows it too.Nora and Pyrrha think they’re dead.That they died in battle against that last Nevermore.Their teammates barely made it to the rescue ship themselves.All four of them got in over their heads, were overwhelmed by the sheer number of Grimm they’d been up against, and now there would be no rescue.

Ren and Jaune know the dangers of being Huntsmen.They’ve known them for a long time.They know when the odds are too low to take the risk.They don’t hold anything against Pyrrha and Nora for not returning.They’re happy their teammates will get to live (hopefully long, fulfilling lives).

When they first found themselves stranded (and relatively uninjured) Ren and Jaune thought they could make it.If they just kept walking, eventually they’d hit something.A town somewhere maybe, where they’d be able to get help.Where they could send a message back to Beacon.They’d assumed and they’d hoped, and now their convictions are wavering.

It had been almost two weeks.The towns they passed were long abandoned, marked by the telltale signs of Grimm attacks, or bandits.In the case of the latter, they’d wondered, half-hopefully, if they’d come across the responsible tribe sometime soon.On the one hand, it was a dangerous prospect.On the other, it would mean finally getting to see other human faces, who maybe could be convinced into helping them get home.

They had no such luck.They are alone.

“Come on.”Jaune stands.He holds out a hand to Ren.“I found something earlier that I think you’ll want to see.”

Jaune leads Ren out of their cave.They cover its entrance behind them, careful not to let any of the fire’s light shine through.As quietly as they can, they walk along the cliff line.Ren glances at the sky, but dawn remains a couple hours off.He hopes Jaune isn’t leading him too far away.They don’t want to draw any unwanted attention in the dark. 

They reach a crevice in the cliff face.Jaune glances back at Ren, and then shimmies through.Ren hesitates, and then follows through to a cavern.

At first, there’s darkness.Nothing.But, as Ren’s eyes adjust, he begins to see.Lights.Small, green, flickering ones.Bioluminescent bugs.Not quite fireflies, but a close relation to them.

Ren lifts up his hand, as unconscious choice as he observes the insects.He’s always found wonder in nature.One of the lightning bugs lands on his index finger.He feels its legs move as it crawls along to the palm of his hand.He watches as it flutters its wings, and then takes off again.

“I know they don’t solve anything,” Jaune says.“I just thought you’d like them.”He makes eye contact with Ren.“Since they are beautiful.”

“That they are.”Ren meets Jaune’s gaze.“Thank you.”

They sit side by side on the cavern floor, lean back on the palms of their hands, and look up to watch the bugs fly about.For a moment, it’s as if nothing else—their hunger, their worry, their fear—matters.They can relax.

Ren reaches out and finds Jaune’s hand with his own.He grasps it tightly, before interlocking his fingers with his partner’s.Jaune smiles at him, a special sort of smile he shares with no one else, but doesn’t say anything.

Neither of them have to speak to know what the other is thinking.Not in this instance.

Being stranded is a situation neither enjoys, but they’re both glad that, since they are there, they’re there with the other.

Eventually, Ren and Jaune return to their own cave.They decide to sleep in close proximity, for warmth and for affection.

The next morning, when they walk outside with their hands interlocked, there’s a search and rescue airship on the horizon.


End file.
